The Paris Olympics have kicked off, and Team GB aims to gather a substantial number of medals in the weeks ahead.
The opening ceremony took place on Friday night along the River Seine, leaving a lasting impression.
Saturday will feature a variety of events including dressage, hockey, gymnastics, swimming, cycling, and more.
Athletes like Keely Hodgkinson, Adam Peaty, and Matthew Hudson-Smith will strive for gold in their respective competitions.
Our team in Paris anticipates an exciting array of sports and highlights their top contenders for medals.
Keely Hodgkinson is one of Team GB’s main medal hopefuls for the Paris Olympics
Oliver Holt
Chief Sports Writer
Most looking forward to
Witnessing Andy Murray’s final performance. It’s both a moment of loss and one to cherish.
Five best gold medal hopes
Adam Peaty (100m breaststroke), Keely Hodgkinson (800m), Sky Brown (skateboarding), Josh Kerr (1500m), Imogen Grant and Emily Craig (lightweight double sculls).
Strongest outsider
Tom Daley (diving).
Elite performance
I’m most eager to see Simone Biles in artistic gymnastics. If she captures multiple golds following her challenges in Tokyo, it will be a remarkable comeback story.
Favourite Olympic memory
Cathy Freeman triumphing in the women’s 400m at Sydney 2000—the atmosphere was charged.
Andy Murray will play for the last time after what has been an incredible career
David Coverdale
Most looking forward to
Adam Peaty’s journey is anticipated after prior expectations in 2016 and 2021. His performance here is uncertain after everything he’s gone through.
Five best gold medal hopes
Keely Hodgkinson, Bryony Page (trampoline), Tom Pidcock (mountain bike), Joe Clarke (canoe slalom, kayak cross), Emily Craig and Imogen Grant.
Strongest outsider
Josh Tarling (cycling time trial).
Elite performance
Eager to see Noah Lyles chasing his first gold—he’s the most exciting development in athletics since Usain Bolt.
Favourite Olympic memory
Staying up late to watch Steve Redgrave win gold at his fifth Games in a row in Sydney 2000.
Adam Peaty is hopeful of adding to his medal collection in the swimming in Paris
Jonathan McEvoy
Most looking forward to
Keely Hodgkinson. She could emerge as the standout British star of these Olympics.
Five best gold medal hopes
Adam Peaty, Tom Daley and Noah Williams, Alex Yee (triathlon), Emma Finucane (cycling), Delicious Orie (boxing).
Strongest outsider
Tom Pidcock (road race and mountain bike).
Elite performance
Eager to watch Noah Lyles in the 100m.
Favourite Olympic memory
Seb Coe and Daley Thompson were childhood heroes. Staying awake to see Steve Redgrave in Sydney was also memorable—he won his fifth gold despite battling health issues.
Noah Lyles has six world titles in sprinting and hopes to one day break Usain Bolt’s record
Riath Al-Samarrai
Most looking forward to
Keely Hodgkinson is yet to secure a gold at the global level, but the grand stage may change that.
Five best gold medal hopes
Keely Hodgkinson, Emma Finucane, Emily Craig and Imogen Grant, Alex Yee, Bradly Sinden (taekwondo).
Strongest outsider
Phoebe Gill (800m). This remarkable talent could snag a medal at just 17 years old.
Elite performance
Eagerly anticipating Sha’Carri Richardson; she is the fastest woman and has the potential to excel further with her fierce drive.
Favourite Olympic memory
Derek Redmond’s heart-wrenching moment in 1992—his injury and dad’s support is an unforgettable image.
Phoebe Gill is a medal hopeful at the age of 17 as she competes in the 800m
Nik Simon
Most looking forward to
Matthew Hudson-Smith, who created a European record in the 400m just last week, is someone to watch.
Five best gold medal hopes
Matthew Hudson-Smith (400m), Max Whitlock (pommel horse), Keely Hodgkinson, Emma Finucane, Josh Kerr.
Strongest outsider
Dina Asher-Smith, Imani-Lara Lansiquot, Amy Hunt, and Daryll Neita in the 4x100m relay.
Elite performance
Looking forward to Antoine Dupont winning gold tonight—achieving that might position him as the best rugby player ever.
Favourite Olympic memory
Seeing Jess Ennis, Mo Farah, and Greg Rutherford shine in that unforgettable moment at London 2012.
Matthew Hudson-Smith set a 400m European record going into the Paris Olympics
Ian Herbert
Most looking forward to
Experiencing sports in breathtaking locations—from beach volleyball by the Eiffel Tower to fencing at Grand Palais and dressage at Chateau de Versailles.
Five best gold medal hopes
Bryony Page, Alex Yee, Delicious Orie, Keely Hodgkinson, Bethany Shriever (BMX)
Strongest outsider
Phoebe Gill, our youngest British Olympic track athlete in four decades and a promising 800m runner at 17.
Bryony Page is seen by several of our writers to be one of Team GB’s main medal hopefuls
Elite performance
Looking forward to Leon Marchand, France’s premier gold medal prospect in the pool.
Favourite Olympic memory
Allan Wells’ electrifying 100m gold victory in Moscow 1980, in which he also secured a silver in the 200m.
